10 Under 40: Luke Hugghins

Project Manager, McClure Engineering Company

Editor’s note: This feature highlights one of 10 individuals under age 40 who make a difference in their business and their community. This spotlight first ran in the Sept. 8, 2019, special section of The Messenger, presented in conjunction with the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance and the Fort Dodge Young Professionals.

What’s the best part of your work?

Being surrounded by an extremely talented, supportive “family” partnering with people who genuinely care about improving their communities.

Life is full of defining moments that helped shape who you are today. What’s your defining moment?

Moving back to Fort Dodge. I’ve had opportunities in the first few years being back that many people in my generation or profession may never experience.

What’s the best advice you ever received?

A friend of mine once said about someone, “I never did get along with him. I guess I should have got to know him better”. If you try hard enough to understand people’s or organizations’ perspectives, you can understand why things happen the way they do and adjust your mindset and input accordingly.

What motivates you to give back to your community?

It’s called “give back” because it gave first. The region continues to find ways to give more and more to my personal and professional growth, so it only makes sense to return the favor in hopes of diversifying growth opportunities for others.

What community project that you were involved in are you most proud of and why?

Joining the local delegation to lobby for a variety of community projects in Washington D.C. Building those relationships is huge for bringing federal resources back to the region and it gives a whole new perspective to how all the pieces come together on all sizes of community projects.

What’s your advice to other young professionals?

You don’t have to be the smartest or most experienced in the room but be in a lot of rooms. The more rooms you are in, the more perspective you gain to make connections between initiatives or people that otherwise may never be made.

What would you like to share about your family and/or hobbies?

In my free time I try to improve my skills as an outdoorsman, private pilot and musician. My wife Lexie and I also spend a lot of time with our families locally, often enjoying local live music.

What improvements would make your community an even better place to live?

From a general standpoint, if more people would condition themselves to react first with a positive mindset, second with a desire to truly understand and third by asking, “What can I do to help?” we would have a culture many people would be happy with. From an organizational standpoint, we have seen a lot of success through effective collaboration of community organizations so it would be exciting to know every business, government entity and non-profit had succession plans for its people to compound that success for years to come.